Sequel To A Very Special Arthur
by William H. Bonnie
Summary: Nigel Ratburn had a successful decades-long career as a teacher at Lakewood Elementary. But what happens when an unfortunate incident comes back to bite him?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Arthur characters are property of PBS and Mark Brown.

Word of Caution: This is the sequel to a story published a decade ago entitled: A Very Special Arthur, which was about Brain having an affair with Nigel Ratburn. I am writing a follow-up to the story and I am here to warn you in advance that the chapters to come will consist of controversial and disturbing subject matter. This story is about a very serious topic. If this topic is unsettling to you, I strongly advise you not to read this story at all. There are warnings for a reason. Viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

March 2008

Nigel Ratburn punched the alarm clock and proceeded to get out of the bed, anxious to start another day of teaching at Lakewood Elementary school. Just under two years ago, this nearly proved to not be the case. Nigel had gotten a love letter from one of his students, a kid named Alan Powers, known as "The Brain", one of the smartest students in his class. After rejecting the boy's advances the first time, he gave in the very next time, and thankfully, it never went any further than kissing. Nigel knew what he was doing was wrong morally, spiritually, and legally, and he was prepared to accept the consequences of his actions. Until Alan's parents barged in and told Brain to confess to everything. Nigel was able to keep his job, but the memories of those two weeks still haunted him from time to time.

He counted his blessings that nobody knew about what he and Alan did. He never told the principal, his students, his fellow co-workers, nor the school board. The man was not religious, so he never told any pastor, nor did he pray to any deity at all. If it was found out that he had gotten involved with one of his students, the consequences would be very severe. He would lose his job, he would be sentenced to a prison term, and if he happened to come across the wrong people in prison, he would possibly be killed. And if he survived prison, he would be a lifetime sex-offender, never allowed to be around kids for the rest of his life.

Every since the incident, Nigel was very squeamish about getting involved in any sort of relationship. He was a decent enough looking teacher, but he rarely, if ever, went out on dates. It wasn't that he didn't like women, he just didn't care to date anyone at this point in his life. As far as his career, he was a very successful teacher, closing in on his 20th year of teaching at Lakewood Elementary. He started as a fourth grade teacher, and eventually became a sixth grade teacher. He had received teacher of the year for his work in helping his students succeed during the last school year. He had a lot of respect from the parents and his colleagues in Elwood City, and was hoping to teach for 20 more years. As far as Alan, last he heard, transferred to another school and was continuing to excel and make the grade. Due to the respect that he had gained in the community, he decided to remain silent about his short affair with one of his former pupils.

As Ratburn put on his suit and tie, giving himself a once-over before he proceeded out the door. The sun was rising over the horizon on the beautiful early spring morning. The snow had melted off the trees, and the temperature was supposed to be in the mid 60s, just like a spring day should be. As Nigel Ratburn set foot into his car, proceeding on his way to Lakewood Elementary, it seemed like a normal day, in which Ratburn would arrive, teach the class, and go home at the end of the day.

But as Nigel would later find out, and if you keep reading this story, this day would be the worst day of his life. It is said that karma can turn around and strike whenever it sees fit...


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I do not own internet watchdog group Perverted-Justice, nor do I own the television show Dateline NBC. The latter is owned by NBC Universal.

Elwood City Police Department

Elwood City Police detective Maryann Tucker walked into the office, manila folder consisting of files in one hand and coffee in the other. She had been on the force for ten years, and a detective for four. She was in her mid 40s, but looked like she was ten years younger. It helped that she worked out constantly and took great care of her skin. She had dealt with special cases before, but nothing like this. In a way, it was almost laughable, because she did not believe that the man would be involved in something like this.

She walked into the police chief's office, sat down in the open seat, and set the manila folder on the desk. Sitting by her was police chief, a bulldog named Mason, a deputy from the Beaver County Sheriff's Department, and Dateline NBC correspondent and "To Catch A Predator" host Chris Hansen.

"These are the files that Perverted-Justice we have on Nigel Ratburn." said the detective.

"So Nigel Ratburn, a nearly 20 year teacher at an elementary school, has been involved in these obscene chats with a 13 year old boy?" asked Chris Hansen pensively.

"Affirmative. We have his chat log, which is 100+ pages long, and some photos of himself that he sent to a perverted justice decoy." the detective replied.

The police chief and the sheriff each took a look through that Nigel Ratburn (screenname PuppetMaster2007) chat log, and their faces scrunched up in anger.

"This man used his position of power to try to inflict abuse on someone he thought was 13. That is completely unacceptable." added the police chief, shaking his head in disgust.

"We have to get this man off the streets as soon as possible, but we have to do it very tactfully, so that the kids don't get traumatized by the teacher's arrest." replied the detective.

Over the next hour or so, the detective, the sheriff, the police chief, and Hansen all discussed how to confront the teacher. The group wanted to move in and out, but were concerned that either some parents would try to interfere in the arrest and try to aid his escape, due to his status in the community. They were also worried if the local news crew would get wind of the story, since Dateline NBC was a very popular TV show.

The Elwood City Police Department contacted the principal, Herb Haney, to let them know that the Dateline NBC crew would be coming to the school. The chief explained that one of the teachers was being questioned for his sexual chat. At first, Haney denied it, saying that it wasn't true. But the police chief explained in more detail about Ratburn's chat online, and Haney granted permission, but said that the camera crew was not allowed to come in until after the last of the students had left the building, which would be around 3:30pm. Chris Hansen and the rest of the Dateline crew took off towards the school, with one police unit from Elwood City and an unmarked squad car from the Sheriff's Office, to attract as little attention as possible.

Chris Hansen walked into Lakewood Elementary, signed in, then proceeded to Nigel Ratburn's room, with the Dateline NBC cameraman trailing behind. The school is pretty much empty, as the school had an early dismissal at 2:30pm, and there were no after-school conferences that day. Nigel Ratburn had just finished packing up, and was prepared to head out the door to grade the tests that the students had taken early in the day, and to enjoy the following day off. He was totally caught off guard for what came next...

"Hello, sir, how are you doing?" asked Chris Hansen, walking into room 37.

Nigel Ratburn looks up in shock. "I'm okay. Who are you?" he asks.

"I need you to have a seat over there on that stool for me." replies Hansen.

"No, what's going on here? What is this about?" asks Ratburn.

"I'll tell you everything that's going on, but first I need you to have a seat." replied Hansen. "We have a lot to talk about, you and I."

To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

The Confrontation

A/N: I do not own Chris Hansen. "To Catch A Predator" and Dateline NBC is property of NBC Universal.

* * *

"So what's happening?" asked Chris Hansen, shaking the hand of the teacher.

Nigel shook the interviewer's hand back, then asked: "What are you doing here? Who is this guy filming me?" pointing to the cameraman behind him.

"I need to talk to you about some things." replied Hansen. "Do you know that you were caught online having an explicit conversation with a boy who told you he was 13?" asked Hansen.

"Sir, I don't like where this is going, and I want you to leave my classroom. What I say in my own house is a matter of free speech and none of your business." replied Ratburn defensively.

"It's one thing to express free speech, but it's another thing to have an inappropriate chat with a boy who is 13 years old." countered Hansen. "No, sir-I need you to sit down. I have some more questions to ask you." Nigel felt like it was a waste of time, but remained seated anyway, because he didn't know if the man was law enforcement, a TV reporter, or the boy's father.

"Nigel, this is very serious stuff we're talking about. Do you know that what you did violates Pennsylvania law and you could get in serious trouble?" Hansen continued.

Upon hearing those words, the 40 year old teacher was stunned, as if he was struck by lightning. He hung his head in shame, sweating rather profusely. Hansen showed Ratburn the explicit parts of his chat and proceeded to ask about the more graphic parts of the chat.

"What do you think should happen to you?" asked Hansen incredulously.

"I should go to some sort of sex rehab or something. I'm not a pervert, I swear to God."

"Rehab?"

"Yes. I've been dealing with a lot of stress in my life, with teaching and stuff, and learning lesson plans."

"I understand, but that's no excuse to have a sexual chat with a thirteen year old boy, is it?" asked Hansen. The teacher doesn't reply.

"You know this isn't a good look, right?" asked Hansen, preparing to wrap up the interview.

"I gave into some really lustful urges that I had, and I feel really remorseful for my actions. I really love my job, and I love my students. I don't want to lose my job over this. I will do whatever it takes, if it means that I have to be monitored for a period of time." said Ratburn.

"Do you watch TV, Nigel?" Hansen inquired curiously.

"No. Not at all," Ratburn replied. "There's so much stupid programs on it these days I just barely watch the thing. Is this going to be recorded? Who are you?"

"My name's Chris Hansen and I'm a reporter with Dateline NBC, and we're doing a story on adults who try to meet young kids on the internet. Now if there's anything you want to say, we'd love to hear it, otherwise, you're free to leave."

Nigel starts to cry a little bit, but, next, he reacts like an animal that is backed into a corner would properly react. "Please turn the cameras off. I don't want my face on television." replied Ratburn.

"No final decisions have been made. You're free to walk out the door." said Hansen.

"You can't do this to people. You can't barge into my classroom and shove a camera in my face. If you air this on TV, I'll sue." Ratburn replied angrily.

For a man who said he was innocent, he sure acted defensively. Nevertheless, the man shielded his face from the camera and proceed to walk out the door. Nigel was initially relieved that what he thought was a silly facade was over and that he could go home and get to work on grading the tests from earlier in the day, but the moment he stepped outside, he was greeted by two plain-clothes police officers.

"Drop your belongings and put your hands behind your back." said one of the officers. He felt the silver cuffs snap around his wrists, then after being frisked, he was led by the arm by one of the police officers to an unmarked police car. While walking to the car, the police officer read him his Miranda rights.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..." read the officer from the Miranda card. Once his rights were read, Ratburn was seated in the car and driven to the police station. 

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Elwood City Police Department, Monday Evening, 5:15 pm

Nigel Ratburn sat handcuffed in the interrogation room without his sport coat, his belongings, and his dignity. The already long day had just gotten longer. He knew what he was doing was wrong, yet he ignored the obvious reparations and continued to do it anyway, and now he was paying the consequences. He stared up at the gray wall in the interrogation room, and put his head down, nearly in tears. But moments later, the female detective came in the room. Nigel gave out the mandatory info such as name, address, etc., but he did not waive his rights.

"Can I please have an attorney?" the man asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, could you speak up a little?" asked the detective nicely.

"I would like to have an attorney present, please." replied Nigel again.

"Okay. That won't be a problem." replied the detective.

"What's next?" he asks.

"You will be transported to the Elwood County Jail, and tomorrow morning, you will see a judge, and he will set your bail." said the detective.

"Oh God." Nigel said, putting his head down, still handcuffed.

The detective stood the handcuffed Nigel up, and led him outside. Nigel hung his head, averting the camera in front of him. He was then placed in the police van, which dropped him off at the Elwood City Jail. There, he was fingerprinted, given the jailhouse uniform, and locked in a cell until the next morning with four other inmates, who thankfully didn't hear about the man's charges.

The following story that night was a main headline in not just the small city, but the surrounding Pittsburgh area. The local television affiliates had extensive coverage of the arrest of the teacher. Some of the local townsfolk were upset, hurt, and a couple were in denial, saying that the teacher was completely innocent, regardless of the evidence against him and his arrest on national television.

Tuesday Morning, 8:30 am, Beaver County

The next day, at 8:30 am, Nigel was brought in front of Judge T. Wallace, one of the most feared judges in the state of Pennsylvania. As Nigel walked up to the stand, the judge gave him a particularly icy stare, as did a couple of the inmates that were caught in the same Elwood City sting.

"Nigel Charles Ratburn." said the gray haired judge, peering down his glasses at the man.

"Yes, your honor?" replied Ratburn.

"You are charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious acts against a minor due to your online chat, which is a 3rd degree felony under Pennsylvania law, which carries a maximum of up to five years in prison if convicted. How do you plead?" asked the judge.

"Not guilty." replied Ratburn.

"Your bond is set at $50,000 with no 10 percent eligibility. Your next court date is Friday at 11am." The judge said.

Once Nigel was finished, he used the phone call that he was granted to call a defense attorney to work out a payment plan for his bond, asking the attorney to do everything he can to fight for him.

Ratburn posted bail an hour later, and was granted his temporary freedom.

Nigel drove off to his house, relieved to be out of the jail, which was a hellhole. Once he got inside, he made some food, then got to work on grading some of the papers. He was convinced that he would be acquitted of the charges against him and that he would keep his job.

Word did eventually get out about Nigel's actions, and as a result, he got quite a few threatening voicemails because of his arrest that eventually made national headlines.

Principal Herb Haney e-mailed him, asking him to come in the very next day. Nigel figured that if he could trust anyone besides his attorney, it would be Herb Haney, his colleague for almost twenty years. Ratburn would tell Haney that what happened was a big misunderstanding, Haney would threaten to hit Dateline NBC and the Beaver County Sheriff's Office with a multi-million dollar lawsuit, which would lead to the eventual end of the show, and what he felt would be his rightful exoneration.

Nigel Ratburn didn't get a lot of sleep, because the charges against him weighed heavily on his mind. What if nobody believed him? What if people believed that he was a sick pervert? What if he was convicted and sent away for a long time? What would he say to his students, if he was able to even address them? What would he say to his colleagues? He was also worried that someone would come to his house and try to hurt or kill him.

The very next morning, Nigel Ratburn got up and drove to the school. He had eventually gotten so many death threats on his voicemail that he turned the thing off. He played this scenario in his head, and hoped that Principal Haney would be willing to hear the man out. As he walked in the front door, nearly every eye turned toward his way was that of disgust and anger. Nevertheless, Nigel ignored their silence and proceeded to the principal's office. The door was open, which meant that the principal was in his office.

"Good morning, Herb. How are you doing today?" asked Ratburn.

"Get out." replied Herb Haney coldly, staring at the man as if he was expecting him.

"Herb, it was a setup. I'm completely-"

"I don't want to hear it. You are a disgusting freak, you know that?" asked Haney, rightfully pissed.

"Herb, that man barged into my classroom with falsified allegations." replied Ratburn defensively.

"Nigel. I heard about the chat. GET OUT." said Herb pointing to the door in front of him.

Nigel laughs nervously. "Come on, Herb, do you really believe everything you hear on-" Herb Haney grabs the man by his collar, in no mood to talk to, let alone be in the same room with a man he once considered one of his best colleagues. The other teachers looked at the men through the window in pure disgust.

"Listen to me, you fucking pedophile. You have thirty seconds to get out or I will call the police and have your ass hauled off in handcuffs. Do you hear me?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Nigel responded, nodding slowly, then walked out the door.

"Don't drop the soap." one of Ratburn's former co-workers replied snidely.

Nigel proceeded out of the building, head down. He had feared that he would lose his job due to his actions, and Herb Haney would not even hear him out. Nigel then sat in his car, tears running down his face at his horrible mistakes. Why did he enter the chatroom that day, knowing it was a setup? Why did he throw almost 20 years of his career away? Now he had no job, basically no friends, and depending on the charges, his next "house" would be a 6 by 8 jail cell.

He got home, kicking off his shoes, and just laid on the couch, too depressed to move and too depressed to turn off the TV that was showing Steve Wilkos yelling at a guy who was accused of molesting his daughter. Ratburn shuddered in fear, then fell asleep, anxious and worried about the future. He had not gotten enough sleep over the past two days, and was hoping to prove his innocence, but things would go from bad to worse in a heartbeat for the already disgraced teacher.

Later in the afternoon when Nigel got up and was sipping tea, watching a TV show about puppet making, there was a loud pounding on the door.

"Who could that be?" he wondered curiously. He peeked through the eyehole and saw two detectives at the door. The same detectives that arrested him two days ago.

"Police department, open up." Ratburn's eyes widened in horror as he opened the door. The two police officers grabbed him and placed him under arrest almost immediately.

"What's going on? What are you doing?" asked Ratburn.

"Nigel Ratburn, you are under arrest for the sexual assault of a minor." said the female detective, leading him away roughly by the arm.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Elwood City Police Department, Wednesday, 12:20 pm

It was a busy day down at the station. The chief was dealing with the overzealous media in the aftermath of Nigel Ratburn's arrest, which made national headlines. Some parents were in denial about what the man was up to, and some even threatened to sue Dateline NBC, claiming that the TV show had engaged in "targeted harassment" of this man. An online petition to pay his court costs popped up overnight.

"This man sure meant a lot to the community, huh?" asked officer Bob./p

"Yeah. And it's a shame that he threw it all away by deciding to solicit a child for sex." replied the chief.

Suddenly, one of the detectives walked into the office. "You're not gonna believe this. I just got an anonymous tip from someone."

"What happened? Spill the beans." the chief perked up anxiously.

"Looks like the rabbit hole just got ten feet deeper. Turns out a woman overheard a young man bragging about a sexual encounter with Nigel Ratburn." said the detective.

"What? You have to be kidding me." said officer Bob.

"Right hand to God, chief. The woman says yesterday afternoon that while she was getting some ice-cream at an ice-cream parlor, she overheard him bragging about it to one of his school friends. She says that she was so stunned and angry, that she didn't call until this morning." replied the detective.

"Wait, so you're saying there was a young boy that was _bragging_ about his sexual encounter with this teacher?" asked the officer skeptically.

"Absolutely. This man is sicker than we thought." replied the detective.

The police chief sat there completely in stunned disbelief. He had three kids of his own, aged 11, 8, and 6, and to hear about anyone sexually abusing a kid made his blood boil as a human being and as a parent.

"It's one thing for a man to have a sexual chat, but for a respected teacher such as himself to actually sexually abuse young boy, that's another level of fucked up." said the police chief, who rarely cussed. "Did the man post bond?"

"Yes. He made bail yesterday morning." replied the detective.

"Well, his day is about to get a hell of a lot worse. Send an officer to interview the kid, and send someone to bust the pervert." said the chief with anger in his eyes. "He's definitely added some charges to his record, that's for damn sure."

The two detectives from the arrest yesterday got in the unmarked Chevrolet Malibu and rushed to the man's house to arrest him for the second time in three days. He was already looking at at least three to five years for the chat alone (and that's if he was LUCKY). Now with the new info, he was looking at an additional 20 in the slammer.


	6. Chapter 6

Elwood City Police Department, 3:45pm

Nigel Ratburn felt his anxiety had skyrocket, and he felt things crashing down around him. It had been half an hour since the teacher was taken into custody for the second time in three days. First, he was arrested for his disgusting chat and for trying to solicit a 13-year-old for a sexual encounter. Now, he was under arrest for an alleged sexual assault against a minor.

Meanwhile, outside the interrogation room, the two detectives were processing the man's paperwork, a mix of shock, anger, pure disgust. But they wondered if the man would talk, or he'd ask for a lawyer, like he did two days ago.

So they agreed to do the good cop/bad cop routine to get some information out of Nigel. After taking the handcuffs off of him, they proceeded to read the man his rights. This time, Nigel Ratburn agreed to waive his right to remain silent and started talking.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" asked the female officer. "You are a low-life scumbag, you know that? We just found new information from a citizen that a young man claimed to have had a sexual encounter with you."

"I know nothing of the sort, ma'am." replied Ratburn calmly.

"Really? Well, I have another question for you, wise-guy. Does the name Alan Powers come to mind?" asked the female detective raising her voice. The male detective sat across from him without saying a word, arms folded stiff.

All of a sudden, Nigel Ratburn's blood ran cold, slowly sinking in his chair. He remembered when Alan Powers had a crush on him, and he had given in to an illegal and morally wrong lust. And it just so happened that a brave citizen told the detectives about the conversation, leading to where the man was today.

"How long?" asked the detective, with disgust in her voice.

"How long what?"

"How long have you been sexually involved with this young man?"

With that question, they had him right where they wanted him. All that was left was for the man to spill his guts.

"I have not contacted him since he moved. Right hand to God." replied Ratburn.

"You're full of shit. We know that you seduced him a couple of years ago." said the detective.

"It's best that you come clean, man. For your own sake." said the male detective, speaking up for the first time. "If you tell us what happened, we can help you."

"How come this young boy said that you and him had gotten "down and dirty last summer? And this young man also added that you had "hot, passionate sex". Would you care to explain?" asked the detective, fingers tapping on the table.

Nigel had no response.

"Well? I'm waiting." said the female detective impatiently.

Nigel was clamming up and shaking vigorously, lips quivering as if he was about to cry. The detective leaned in towards him, hitting him with a glare that struck like a bolt of lightning.

"Unbelievable. You used your position of power as a teacher at one of the best elementary schools in the state, and quite possibly the nation. You were too pathetic to try to find a grown man or woman your age, so you decided to go and get your rocks off and not only sexually abuse, but traumatize this young man for the rest of his life. What do you have to say for yourself?" asked detective Mary, face turning red.

At this point, in her mind, there was _nothing_ that the pervert Nigel Ratburn could say to defend himself.

"I would like to speak to a lawyer, please." replied Ratburn, ending the interview. In her mind, it was the best thing that he could have done. She had interrogated people for sex crimes before, but nothing of this caliber. If the interview went any deeper, she might have ended up smacking the guy in the jaw. The female detective left the room, holding back tears. She had two young kids, and to find out that this teacher, who many of his pupils looked up to for advice, some even seeing him as a father figure, had abused one of his former pupils. To top it off, her son, the oldest child, went to Lakewood Elementary. Who knows how many more possible students this disgrace of a man victimized?

"You better hope and pray you get the right judge, man. It's not looking good for you. I say you're up shit's creek without a paddle." said the male detective. Nigel said nothing, instead bowing his head in silence, as he was escorted out of the station and into to the police van, which then took him to the Beaver County Jail. He was booked, processed, etc., and jailed.

The very next morning, he was brought in front the same judge.

"Nigel Ratburn, you are charged with one count of sexual assault on a minor. This is a 1st degree felony under Pennsylvania law which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted. How do you plead?" asked the judge.

"Not guilty your honor." replied Nigel.

"Due to the severity of the charges, you are what the court would classify as a potential sexual predator. Your bond is $750,000 with no ten percent eligibility, and your court date for this case is Monday at 9am. Do you understand?"

"Can I be signed over to the custody of my sister?" asked Ratburn in an obvious hail-mary attempt for some sort of leniency.

"No, sir. I will see you tomorrow at 11am for your court date in your last case, and I will see you on Monday at 9am for this case."

Nigel Ratburn walked back to his jail cell, waiting for his lawyer, who would arrive in about half-an-hour's time. Nigel's current charges could have him serving 25 years in prison, depending on if the sentences run concurrent or consecutive.

But, as you'll find out later in the story, things are about to get even WORSE for the now disgraced teacher.

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Elwood City Jailhouse

Nigel Ratburn was staring at the wall, bored out of his mind. He had very little room to move in the 6 by 8 cell. He then heard the cell doors open and a black inmate who was arrested for assault and armed robbery was placed in the cell, taking the top bunk (Ratburn had the bottom bunk).

The black inmate stared down Nigel Ratburn with the fury of an individual not to be messed with. After about a half-hour of awkward silence, the inmate finally talks to Nigel Ratburn.

"So, what are you in here for?" he asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it." replied Ratburn, hoping to keep quiet about his charges. But the inmate persisted.

"We're friends right?" said the inmate, placing a friendly arm around Ratburn. "It's all good. You can tell me, man. I won't judge you." replied the inmate.

Ratburn refused to reply.

"I know who you are. You're the teacher that raped that kid, right?" Ratburn didn't answer. The inmate jumped down off his bunk and glared at the former teacher, eyes bulging out. "ANSWER ME, MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Yes." said Ratburn, nodding his head solemnly.

The inmate grabbed him by the front of his jumpsuit. "Listen here you asshole, don't fuck with me while we're here, and things MIGHT just go okay for you, alright?"

"Yes sir." said Ratburn.

"It was a very tense two and a half hours, with Ratburn enduring the mother of all stare downs from the inmate, who took every bit of pleasure in torturing the man. Eventually, both men fell asleep, but around four or five in the morning, the inmate heard noises and slight moaning. He heard such noises before, but to hear them coming from a disgraced former teacher, especially one accused of raping a child, made things a lot worse.

The grunting and moaning went faster, and then ended with a sigh. The inmate jumped down from the bed with a thud to confront the teacher.

"Are you KIDDING ME? You have to be fucking kidding me!" he said as Ratburn lay in a ball. "Unfurl your damn cover, motherfucker!" The man complied, and the inmate saw the sheets covered in Ratburn's man yogurt.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, YOU SICK FUCK?!" screamed the inmate, loud enough for other inmates nearby to hear.

"You are one sick motherfucker, I will tell you that much! Get up! Right now!" Ratburn's eyes bugged out in fear. He tried to reason with the man, but reasoning doesn't get one far, especially in county jail.

The inmate then proceeded to slap the man around the small cell. Ratburn screamed out for help, to little avail.

He then got Ratburn on the ground and was about to pull the pants of the man down before the deputies rushed in and tackled the inmate, roughing both of them up.

For Ratburn, it was a welcome break. Once he went to the doctor to get treated for his injuries, he was told that he was due in court later that day. This time, he couldn't dress in his usual suit, but rather his inmate uniform as he was taken in cuffs to the courthouse.

Once again, he was placed in front of the same judge that raised his bail after the first two incidents. The judge looked at him with the same glare and contempt that he looked at him the first two times he appeared.

"Nigel Ratburn. It appears that you have new charges against you." the judge said very sternly, looking down his glasses.

"Yes sir." Ratburn proceeded to hang his head, but the judge snapped at him to pick his head up.

"You have another charge of sexual assault of a minor, this time, involving a victim who was 15 years old at the time. This charge, if you are convicted, on top of your current charges, carries a grand total of up to 45 years. Do you understand the charges against you?"

"Yes your honor." replied Ratburn.

"Due to your status as a sexual predator, we have revoked your initial bail from the first charges against you, and you are to be held at the county jail until your trial, which is to be held on June 4. I will see you on Friday for your next court date. You may have your attorney present with you. You are dismissed." said the judge.

"The sheriff's deputy walked the handcuffed Ratburn out of the court, Ratburn felt all eyes on him. Some even teared up in anger at the sight of the man before them, a once respected teacher-turned pedophile.

BUT, as time goes on, things would get worse for the man.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Edit: For some reason, I couldn't post Jake's story as a separate chapter, so I had to improvise and add to this current chapter.

Powers' Residence, earlier that evening

The next town's deputies had tracked down the family, with the intention of talking to Alan about what happened between him and Ratburn, and to see if he, and his victim would testify against Nigel Ratburn in the upcoming trial in early June.

That evening, the detectives approached the house and knocked.

"Who is it?" called out a voice.

"Detective Henderson, Beaver County Sheriff's Office."

Alan Powers' mom stood at the door and opened it just a crack. "Is my son in trouble?" she asked.

"No ma'am. We're investigating a possible sexual assault that your son may have been the victim of." replied deputy DiPasqua.

"Hold on just a minute." Alan's mother walks up the steps, then calls his name. "Alan! Can you come down here?"

Alan hustles down the steps.

"There are a couple of people who want to talk to you." Alan's eyes widened as he saw the two police officers at the door.

"Am I in trouble?" he asked nervously.

"No. We just need to talk to you. May we come in?" asked detective Henderson.

"You may." said Alan's mom, letting the detectives come in. "Have a seat on the couch." Alan's mom goes to prepare some tea, and the two detectives sit across from Alan Powers.

"So, how are you doing son?" asked Henderson.

"I'm doing okay. How about yourself?" replied Alan, limply shaking each of the detectives' hands.

"Son, we wanted to talk to you about Nigel Ratburn."

Alan's heart started racing. He knew about Ratburn's arrest and charges that were pending.

"Um. What happened? Is Mr. Ratburn in trouble?" asked Alan.

"Yes. He is in quite a bit of trouble, son." replied DiPasqua.

"I know about the charges and stuff, but the To Catch A Predator was entrapment. There is nothing wrong he..." Alan's voice trails off.

"Alan, how long have you known Mr. Ratburn?" asked Henderson.

"He was my teacher in sixth grade. We had such a fun time together. I had a minor crush on him, but that was when I was young and dumb."

"Did you ever spend the night over his house at any point?"

Alan looked down at the ground. Part of him still had lust for Nigel, despite the fact that he was facing several decades in prison for serious crimes.

"Yes."

"How often did you two hang out?"

"We hung out intermittently over the summer. He was a great person." Alan then proceeded to talk at length about the time they spent together.

"Son. I have to ask you a serious question. Did Nigel Ratburn attempt to sexually assault you?" asked Henderson.

"Well, we kissed and we did have sex a few times." said Alan.

Henderson's eyebrows rose upon hearing Alan confessing this information. "Son, based on the information that you have told me, and the fact that you are 13 years old, the stuff that Nigel Ratburn did to you is a clear violation of Pennsylvania law. What he did is called rape." said Henderson.

"That's not true." said Alan. "Nigel treated me with nothing but respect, and I consented."

"Son, you are 13 years old. You cannot legally give consent. The man took advantage of and violated you multiple times. That is not an idol, nor a father figure, he is a sexual predator." the detective replied.

Alan was angry at first, then when it clicked in his head, he started to cry, and fell into the detective's arms.

"I am really, really sorry." said Henderson. "But don't you worry, if you help us out this summer, there will be justice served to this man."

Alan initially did not respond. "So Nigel really took advantage of me?"

The detective nodded.

"We had a relationship. Why did he do this?" Alan broke down crying again. "I trusted him. He was a friend of mine! He was my favorite teacher!" The kid continued to blubber in the arms of detective Henderson, who comforted him.

"The whole community trusted him. You're not alone." said DiPasqua.

"Alan, sweety! Are you okay?" asked his mother.

"Ma'am, I need to speak with you in private." said detective DiPasqua. The two went into the kitchen where DiPasqua broke the news.

"Based on what your son said to us, this man sexually assaulted him over a period of two years." said DiPasqua.

"What? That man molested my-" Alan's mom's voice trailed off before she, too, broke down in tears.

"If there is anything we can do to help, just let us know. I know that this comes as terrible news to you." said DiPasqua.

"That bastard hurt my son! That evil, sick fuck, molested my son and took advantage of him. I knew something was funny when Alan began hanging out with Ratburn last summer." said Alan's mom. "We will definitely be pressing charges against him."

The detectives gave their info, and Alan and his mother (his father was on a business trip and wouldn't be back until the end of the week), promised to testify at the trial.

Later That Evening...

Both detectives made their way back to the office. Detective DiPasqua was a former gang unit investigator for years, and at one point, did counterfeit work for the United State Secret Service. Henderson was a tough youth from the mean streets of Aliquippa who dropped out of high school to join the military, then went back to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Police work had its usual share of ups and downs, which was normal. But this scandal rattled even two of the strongest members of the police department, even the chief, who at one time, was a three star general in the military. Even HE was shaken by the teacher's disgusting deeds.

"Man, I'm still in disbelief that this poor kid took so much abuse over the course of fifteen months." said Henderson. "And from a teacher he looked up to, no less!"

"I'm just glad that he's off the streets. I'm still in shock that this guy would be this sick and do this to one of his former pupils!" said the female detective.

"I know. Teachers are supposed to educate the kids and make it so that they're ready for the real world. Ratburn overstepped his boundaries, big time. That's when you know the system is fucked up." says Henderson.

The detectives are stunned by a knock on the door.

"There's someone here to see you." says one of the officers, who just started working the late shift. A young man in a black hood appears in front of the detectives, as if he has been crying or is about to cry.

"How can we help you?" asked Henderson.

The boy does not respond, looking motionless at the floor.

"What's the matter, son? You okay?" asks one of the detectives.

"It's about Ratburn." says Jake in a quiet voice. "He was my ex-neighbor, and...and...please forgive me for this..." as his lower lip begins to tremble.

"What about Ratburn? Did he hurt you?" asks the female detective.

""He...did things to me sexually. He...violated..me..." The poor boy could barely get the words out before falling into the arms of the female detective, crying his eyes out.

Jake then proceeded to tell the detectives in detail about what Nigel Ratburn did to him. At the end of it, Jake asked when Ratburn's trial was.

"June 4." replies Henderson. "Do we have your word that you will testify against him in court?"

"Absolutely. I hope that sick son of a bitch stays in jail forever." says Jake, walking away. "Especially after the hell he put me and my family through."

"Thank you all so much for what you have done. I know that justice will prevail." said Jake's father.

"I was worried about why my son was acting this way. Now I know." said Jake's mother. "Thank God for the best police force in this state." she added.

"Not a problem. It's a really tough set of circumstances, but we also hope that justice will prevail." said the detective.

Jake and his parents leave the station and head on their way home.

"Wow. It's worse than I thought. This man terrorized not just one kid, but TWO." said DiPasqua.

"For HIS sake, he had better be in protective custody." replied the female detective.

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Due to a vacation that the judge was on, the trial was moved back to the middle of August, a week before school was set to begin in Beaver County. Nigel Ratburn talked to his lawyer and tried to get the trial moved to another county, but the judge denied the motion. With the charges hanging over him, Nigel Ratburn decided to waive his right to a fair and speedy trial. It was a huge gamble, but Ratburn was willing to take the chance.

Meanwhile, Nigel Ratburn's jail life was no better over the course of the next few months. He had to get placed in administrative segregation, due to getting in ANOTHER fight with an inmate. His punishment was complete lock down for 23 hours and he could only shower once a week. He was eventually placed in a special wing of the jail for his own safety, and even the inmates in that unit weren't happy about being housed with him.

Alan Powers' parents were supposed to go on TV and discuss what happened, but balked when NBC News wanted to request an interview because Alan's mom thought that NBC was trying to extort the family.

Meanwhile, in other news, Elwood City had a jury selection, which took place over the course of 90 days. There were over 300 potential jurors and anywhere from 10-14 would be selected. The jurors came from as far north as Erie, as far south as the West Virginia-Pennsylvania border, as far west as Warren, Ohio, and as far east as Scranton Wilkes-Barre.

The jurors were ranging from football coaches to exotic dancers and lawyers to bankers. Over the course of this period, more than half dropped out, and the juror pool was thinned to the final 30 people. Five from Ohio, seven from north of Elwood, four from the city, six from the Pittsburgh area, and the other eight from south of the area.

Meanwhile, some of the students refused to come to grips that their former teacher was a pervert. As were a couple of rogue colleagues. They believed to the death that Nigel Ratburn was somehow being framed.'

"Brain's lying. How do we know that it's not some big money grab to frame Nigel. That's what those stings are anyway." said Francine Frensky.

"Do you really think Brain would lie about something like that?" said Arthur.

"Yes. People lie about their age online all the time." said Francine.

"But they have chat logs and stuff. How do we know there aren't MORE victims out there?" replied Buster.

"Buster, do you believe every crackpot story that's in the news?" Francine shot back. "I won't believe anything until I see it."

"We won't even be allowed in the courtroom, Francine. Unless he calls us to testify." said Arthur.

Meanwhile, in the jail, Nigel Ratburn, the teacher that fell from grace, continued to deteriorate mentally. The three meals a day he was served were NOTHING like he was used to in the outside world, if he would ever get to see the outside world again once things were all said and done. Breakfast was runny eggs and oatmeal with hair in it, lunch was nutriloaf, and dinner was a cold, small burger patty on hard bread. The man barely ate the stuff that he was given in the jail, and did not really have a lot of money for commissary, as it went to his lawyer, who basically had to go incognito because it was such a high-profile case.

Ratburn did not have any friends at all, and his family, once they heard about the teacher's transgressions, completely disowned him. The juror pool whittled down from 30 potential to 20 potential. The judge that refused to grant Nigel Ratburn bail made a decision that the juror pool would consist of 12 total people and four alternates. Of the 20, three were from eastern Ohio, five were from north of Elwood City (three of THREE from around the Erie area), four were from in/around the Pittsburgh area, four from Beaver County, and four from south of Beaver County.

Ratburn's lawyer was moving to delay the trial in a last-ditch attempt to try to get the teacher some form of bail, or at least put him on release so he could work on his case with his lawyer. But due to the severity of the charges against him, the judge denied the motion, as well as bail for Ratburn. But the trial date was moved back to the middle of September, and was moved back again as the judge eventually fell ill, but a replacement was found just days later, which was a federal judge from the 3rd district court of appeals.

As for the jury trial, the field of 12 was finally selected. Two each from eastern Ohio, the Erie area, north of Elwood City, within Beaver County, the Pittsburgh area, and south of the county.

The trial was then moved back in order for a doctor to test Ratburn and see if he was deemed mentally competent to stand trial. It hadn't even begun, and local news stations (Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Erie) were hounding the young children, administrators, and the teachers. It got so crazy that the Sheriff's Department AND the Pennsylvania National Guard had to be called in to restore order.

The trial was eventually pushed back once again, this time to October 2.

Proceedings were delayed once more, as the 3rd district court's son was battling leukemia, pushing the trial back another month. Meanwhile, two of the jurors dropped out and were replaced by one alternate from Ohio, and another from the Pittsburgh area.

The trial finally began on the cool fall day of November 3, the day before the election, and was expected to last anywhere from a month to two years, depending on how things shook out with evidence and testimonies.


	10. Chapter 10

After delays upon delays, the trial officially began on November 24, 2008. It was a very high-interest trial with even national media getting in on the attention, from local news affiliates to national news outlets and everything in between. The field of twelve jurors was finally seated.

"All rise." said the bailiff. "Judge Robert Gray presiding. You may be seated." The gallery rose for the judge, then were seated as followers. Notable members of the gallery included members of the online watchdog group Perverted-Justice, who would be called to eventually testify. Also included would be Alan Powers and Jake, the other boy. Both of their parents were there, plus a couple of counselors for the boys.

The Superintendent wanted to keep the school open for the next two days before Thanksgiving break, but with all the media attention, some of it being turned towards him, he was forced to close the schools for the entire week.

On one side was Nigel Ratburn, looking somewhat presentable in a suit and tie, next to his attorney. On the other side was the plaintiff, Perverted-Justice.

First, the prosecutor made an impassioned opening statement about how two young men's lives were ruined because of the actions of a man who took advantage of his position of power to try to have his way with them. He added that if he was in either of the young men's shoes that it would scar him for the rest of his life, due to the man bragging about being a father figure to both boys.

Nigel Ratburn looked remorsefully at the prosecuting attorney while he gave the rest of his statement. Once the prosecutor made his statement, then the defense attorney made his opening statement about how Nigel Ratburn was a great man that was being unfairly slandered by a money-hungry media and a pair of kids who didn't know what they was talking about.

This statement drew the ire of the gallery and a few of the jurors. After a few more statements, recess was declared. Outside the courtroom, there were two different groups of people protesting. One group was protesting Perverted-Justice with the reason that they thought Nigel Ratburn was being lured by the group into having the nasty conversation he had.

The other group was protesting against the school district, wondering why Nigel Ratburn was not fired once the stuff about Alan Powers came out. They were angry at the superintendent, thinking that he was protecting the now-disgraced teacher because he was recommended so highly.

Both groups were thankfully separated by the deputies of the Beaver County Sheriff's Office, but words were definitely exchanged.

After the midday recess, the first day of the trial came and went without any real news to report on either end of the spectrum. As far as Nigel Ratburn went, he was transferred to administrative segregation with basically his thoughts and nothing else.

Day two of the trial was just as short. One noticeable difference was that neither Alan or Jake, nor their families, were in the courtroom. They were taking a vacation and would not get back in town until Monday evening at the latest. Both would definitely be called to testify if they were willing to, given the seriousness of the charges against Ratburn.

The judge declared that the trial would resume on Monday the following week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday.


	11. Chapter 11

When we last left off, the trial had started, but was cut short due to the Thanksgiving Break.

On day three (December 1, 2008), Perverted-Justice testified that they were a group whose focus was to out predators who preyed on underage children in an attempt to meet up with them for a sexual encounter. The main guy behind the operation testified that they were temporarily deputized by the Sheriff's Department before setting up their sting in Elwood City, and had been conducting stings for four years from Long Island, New York, to Long Beach, California, and had successfully gotten over 100 men arrested.

During the three-day sting that took place in the spring (and what turned out to be the final episode of To Catch A Predator), twelve men showed up to the sting house, ranging in age from 20 years old to 79 years old, had various occupations, and came from places as far away as Eastern Ohio and as far west as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The men would chat up the decoys who were posing as underage kids online and use explicit language in their chats, some even going as far as sending nude pictures and showing up at the sting house with adult gifts such as sex toys, pornographic movies, lubricant, condoms, and the like.

Once the men showed up at the house, they would be greeted by an 18-year-old female actress who posed as the 13-year-old girl for the men who were trying to solicit a female, and a 20-year-old male actor who posed as a 13-year-old boy for those who were trying to solicit a male. Once the men went into the house, they were then met by Chris Hansen, who would interrogate the men for a short time about their explicit online chat, giving the men a chance to explain their behavior.

Once that was over, Chris Hansen would tell them who he was, and the men would then be free to leave, but didn't get far, as they were arrested by the Beaver County's Sheriff's Department. Three of the men posted bail and all of them plead no contest and were awaiting sentencing.

Of the nine that did not make bail, seven plead guilty, and five of the seven started serving their sentences. The rest were awaiting sentencing. Two others had trials that were still going.

The defense attorney asked one of the PJ reps why Ratburn's case was so special. He responded that Ratburn had hit up one of the PJ decoys, and they had talked for about two weeks, with Ratburn suggesting the decoy to do very inappropriate sexual actions. The decoy had invited Ratburn over, but he was a no-show to the sting house.

The defense attorney then asked why they went to the school to interrogate Nigel Ratburn, and had the Dateline NBC crew tag along. The PJ rep stated: "We (Perverted-Justice) talked about it with Chris Hansen and the Beaver County's Sheriff's Office, and came to the conclusion that Monday would be the best chance for the interviewer, Chris Hansen, to interrogate him about his chat."

"Why not talk to him at his house then?" asked the attorney.

"We wanted to make sure that we would get him in a place where he'd talk to us." replied the PJ rep. He stated that he didn't want a repeat incident of what happened in Texas two years back when a D.A. killed himself inside his house.

"Why would you go to such lengths to stalk this man based on his conversation?" asked the defense attorney.

"The man was trying to set up a meet with a 13-year old boy, and did not show up at the house. We got in touch with the principal and the superintendent and let them know that we were coming to talk to the teacher on Monday. It was higher-profile due to the teacher's status in the community." replied the PJ rep.

After a few more back-and-forth statements, day three of the trial ended, and coming up during the week would be Jake, then Alan's testimony, then Alan's mother, then Principal Haney, then the superintendent. Only one character witness would testify on Ratburn's behalf, before Ratburn himself would take the stand, unless the man plead guilty and took whatever sentence was handed to him.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: This story will likely finish sometime before the end of the year as the trial wraps up. For those of you that have viewed the story to this point, I thank you for your reviews. Sorry for being away so long.

The trial resumed later in the week, and Alan Powers (not identified in the paper because of his status as a minor) and Jake both gave their testimonies.

"So how well do you know Mr. Ratburn?" said the defense attorney.

"I knew him for three years, sir. He was my teacher in third, fourth, and sixth grade." replied Alan.

"And when did you develop these "love feelings" for your teacher?" replied the attorney.

"Objection!" said the prosecutor. "So you're telling me that a 13-year-old boy is capable of soliciting a 40-year-old man for a sexual encounter? That is the most ridiculous line of thinking I have ever heard."

"In the sixth grade, you allegedly wrote a love letter declaring your "love" for Nigel Ratburn, correct?" asked the attorney.

"I did write a letter at the time. It was more poem-like." said Alan hesitatingly.

"What was the content of the letter?" asked the attorney.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" asked Mrs. Powers.

"Mrs. Powers, please be quiet." rebuked the judge. Mrs. Powers sat down, arms folded as the cross-examination continued.

"Did you or did you not at the time have love feelings for my client?" asked the defense attorney.

"I did at the time, but I didn't know better. I was doing it as a prank, sir." replied Alan.

The attorney then presses him about his actions just days afterward, with the attempt to back the young man into a corner.

"Objection!" yelled the prosecutor.

"I'll allow it." replied the judge.

"Even if this young man did what he did with Mr. Ratburn, that is still statutory rape. Ratburn essentially forced himself on this young man and took his innocence." said the prosecutor.

"That's not...tr..." Alan tried to reply, but couldn't fight back the tears, as his eyes darted to the defense attorney, to his prosecutor, and the jury.

"He did! That man violated me and took my innocence and used it against me so that he could satiate his sick desires! I looked up to him as a teacher and as a father-figure, and he broke that trust, and then some." said Alan Powers through tears. His parents were in the gallery, wiping away tears as their son described his ordeal.

"Nigel Ratburn, I am sorry that I ever liked you at any point. You truly are a disgusting individual, using your position of power to take advantage of kids like me. I wonder how many other kids you have tried to molest." said Powers. "This horrible experience happened over the summer when I found his number...and then went over to his house..." Powers then broke down in tears.

(Defense attorney cross-examines Alan's actions in sixth grade, wondering if he was trying to force himself on Ratburn during the school year. The prosecutor objects, wondering why if Ratburn supposedly told Alan that he would not do ANYTHING with him, that he ended up doing what he did ANYWAY with not just Alan, but Jake as well.)

He also wonders why did Ratburn engage the boy in a sexual encounter over the summer after saying months ago that he would not acquiesce to the boy's affections. He states that Ratburn was witnessed in his vehicle grabbing the boy by the waist and doing things to him, then slapping the boy. The defense attorney and the prosecutor went back and forth and nearly had to be separated.

Without looking at Nigel Ratburn, Jake says he refused to press charges because he liked Nigel at the time, and even admitted to trying to seduce Ratburn more than once, but admitted that his actions were reprehensible and that he wasn't in the right state of mind, and also said that he was rebelling against his parents until he accepted Christ two months later.

Once Ratburn was arrested for his crimes, Jake said: "It was really hard to push it to the back of my mind, but once he got arrested and his face was on the news, it brought back all of those horrible memories of what he did to me." He continued, fighting back tears. "I was brainwashed and I let him take advantage of me. He is a very horrible man." Jake also said that he attempted suicide the day after Ratburn was arrested as part of the Dateline sting.

As far as Nigel Ratburn, he started his dirty and explicit chat in February 2008, and parts of the chat with a 13-year-old decoy, who was a PJ decoy, are REALLY disturbing. The man goes into sick detail about what he would do to the boy, and incriminated himself during the chat as well. Said chat was over 100 pages long. The prosecutor stated that the fact that he would be willing to go into such great detail to potentially molest a 13-year-old boy, was more than enough proof to lock him away for a good, long time.

All Nigel Ratburn could do was hang his head in shame. There was nothing he could say to defend himself in the eyes of the jury, the judge, the prosecutor, or the gallery. His life and career were over and his family wanted nothing to do with him.

He was a dead man walking and knew it was only a matter of time before he would potentially be serving the rest of his life in state prison. After a very tough and stressful day, the fourth day of the trial was over.

Soon to testify were Alan's mother, the principal and the superintendent. Before their testimonies in the morning, the judge would offer Nigel a plea deal, of which we will get into next time.

When the principal took the stand, he sat stone faced, staring down the shackled and handcuffed Ratburn, who couldn't even look him in the eye.

"So Mr. Haney. Tell me about your former colleague Mr. Ratburn." said the prosecutor.

"Well. He's a scumbag piece of garbage. He worked for this school district for 18 years and his good nature and kindness was nothing but an illusion and a facade." sad Haney.

"How would you describe him? Did he have any complaints against him?"

"Besides what I said before, no. He won teacher of the year three times. He WAS one of the best co-workers that I had in years before all of this came out." This sad excuse of a human being won't even look me in the eye because of how sick and disgusting he is." said Haney, pointing straight at Ratburn. "I am sorry that I ever vouched for you at any point in my life. I have four kids myself, and as a parent, I am HORRIFIED at the scumbag piece of shit that is across from me." he added.

"Mr. Haney, please refrain from vulgar language." said the judge.

Haney then went on to explain that if Ratburn had ever done what he did against one of HIS kids, then Ratburn would be praying for death.

Once Haney left the witness stand, his anger reached a boiling point. "You sick mother-" Haney tried to go after the handcuffed and shackled Ratburn before he was tackled and handcuffed, then led out of the courtroom by two sheriff's deputies.

The prosecutor then interviewed the superintendent who said he had no idea that Ratburn was hurting children, nor did he have any idea that the man had a sexual chat with an underage boy. During his testimony, one woman screamed: "You knew and didn't say anything! You're a liar!" before being escorted out of the courtroom.

One other protester yelled: "Shame on you for covering up this monster!" before she, too, was removed.

At first, it appeared the superintendent was going to possibly defend Ratburn, in light of his actions, but as the interrogation continued, the superintendent replied that had he knew that Ratburn was doing what he was doing, he would have fired him on the spot and revoked his teaching license. The superintendent didn't even look at Ratburn, even when Ratburn was sitting up and listening to him.

It turned out that Alan's mom's testimony was not needed, so Nigel Ratburn would get his turn at the stand.

Nigel Ratburn was called to testify regarding his actions between Spring 2006 and 2008. The jury sat steel-faced, looking at the disgraced former teacher. The parents were consoling the kids after their heartbreaking testimonies about how Ratburn took advantage of them.

(Ratburn gives his testimony in the witness stand about his career as a teacher, confessing to how he gave in, saying that the boys tried to take advantage of him and get him in trouble, but the story wasn't convincing to anybody. He was trying to make a case for being allowed out on bail (even at least on house arrest). Due to Alan and Jake being minors, they were not legally able to give consent to sex, even though they willingly performed said activity with Ratburn.

The verdict would come the following Monday. If Ratburn was convicted of the two first-degree felony charges, plus the chat would face anywhere from 10-40 years in the slammer.

Criminal Solicitation and Statutory Sexual Assault (1st degree felony) (Up to 20 years on two counts = 40 years and $25,000 fine)

Aggravated Indecent Assault (2nd degree felony) (Up to 10 years on two counts = 20 years and $25,000 fine)

Indecent Assault (1st degree Misdemeanor) (Up to 5 years on two counts = 10 years and $10,000 fine)

Engaging In Sexual Activity w/minor as teacher (3rd degree felony) (Up to 7 years on one count) = 7 years and $15,000 fine)

Ratburn was facing anywhere between 25 and 77 years maximum in prison (essentially a life sentence)

He would be offered the first of three plea deals by the prosecution before the verdict.

The first plea deal, which was offered earlier in the day, was if he plead guilty to four of the counts against him, he would be sentenced to 22 years in prison, and would be given credit for the time served towards his sentence, and would be eligible for parole after 15 years.

His defense attorney was pushing for conviction on two counts of the third degree felony, which would only give him seven years of prison time and make him eligible for parole after serving half the sentence.


End file.
